Manitoba Business: Winnipeg Electric Railway Company / Winnipeg Electric Company
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Presidents | Vice-Presidents | Substations | Sources
The Winnipeg Electric Railway Company, formed in 1892 by entrepreneurs William Mackenzie and James Ross, became the Winnipeg Electric Company in 1924. It provided streetcar, gas, and electrical service to Winnipeg and several outlying rural municipalities.
Electricity was provided from two main sources: a steam-generating plant at Assiniboine Avenue and Main Street, and three hydroelectric generating stations on the Winnipeg River: Pinawa Generating Station (constructed between 1903 and 1906), Great Falls Generating Station (constructed between 1914 and 1928), and Seven Sisters Generating Station (constructed between 1929 and 1952).
The company was sold in January 1953 to the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board.
Presidents
Vice-Presidents
General Managers
Chief Engineers
Substations
Substation |
Location |
Year |
Status |
Academy Substation |
216 Academy Road, Winnipeg |
1947 |
Converted to residence (?) |
Dawson Substation |
375 Dawson Road, Winnipeg |
? |
|
Desautels Substation |
403-407 Rue Desautels, Winnipeg |
1927 |
|
Harrow Substation |
680 Harrow Street, Winnipeg |
1920 |
|
Kildonan Substation / West Kildonan Substation |
1812 Main Street, Winnipeg |
c1907 |
|
Kylemore Substation |
Osborne Street, Winnipeg |
1909 |
Demolished (?) |
Little Britain Substation |
Main Street, RM of St. Andrews |
c1907 |
Destroyed by fire (1951) |
Logan Substation |
1113 Logan Avenue, Winnipeg |
1911 |
Demolished (?) |
Middlechurch Substation |
3796 Main Street, RM of West St. Paul |
c1907 |
|
Mill Substation |
41-55 Mill Street, Winnipeg |
1905 |
|
Osborne Substation |
265 Osborne Street, Winnipeg |
1947 |
Demolished (2019) |
Oxford Substation |
Oxford Street [later Day Street], Winnipeg |
1913 |
Demolished (?) |
Powers Substation |
354 Powers Street, Winnipeg |
1946 |
Demolished (1985) |
St. James Substation |
1637 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg |
1909 |
|
Sherbrook Substation |
393 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg |
1920 |
|
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg Electric Railway Building (213 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Winnipeg, Selkirk and Lake Winnipeg Railway Carbarn (479 Eveline Street, Selkirk)
Manitoba Business: Winnipeg Electric Railway Company / Winnipeg Electric Company
Manitoba Business: Manitoba Power Commission / Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board / Winnipeg Hydro / Manitoba Hydro
Sources:
“Annual report of the Winnipeg Electric Railway Company for the fiscal year ended December 31st, 1913,” Manitoba Free Press, 13 February 1914, page 17.
“Grand Falls power promised soon,” Winnipeg Tribune, 26 June 1922, page 6.
“W. E. sub-station permit issued,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 October 1946, page 5.
We thank Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 4 February 2023
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